Minerva's Birthday Surprise
by kidarock
Summary: UPDATED AND COMPLETED! Minerva is looking forward to her 70th birthday but it seems everybody has forgotten!Why are the staff acting so strange? How will Albus make it up to her? R
1. A Chilly Start

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all.

A/N: This was my first fic about a year ago. I re-read it a couple of months ago and it looked awful. So I have put different scenes in, described it betterandI hope the grammer and spelling is much better than last time.If you wish to review again, I would be grateful.

Bex

A Chilly Start

Chapter 1

Minerva McGonagall awoke early one morning in December to discover that Hogwarts had been covered in snow. Sitting up slowly and pushing herself off the bed to place herself onto the windowsill, she yawned and looked out of the glass stained window that looked out onto the frozen lake. Minerva nudged her husband with her foot, using her toes to poke him in the side.

"Darling wake up," she said sleepily as she gave him a final nudge with her foot. Albus opened his eyes bleary and stretched out across the bed where Minerva had slept. He sat up slowly and glanced out of the window where his wife was currently sitting.

"It's snowing," he said bluntly as he recognised the pure white gently falling from the sky. Albus turned around to the bedside table to reach for his glasses to get a better look.

"Yes, isn't it wonderful! Maybe we could go by the old alockment over the field and have a snowball fight!" she replied excitedly, and pressed her nose against the window as the bitter cold rushed through her, making Minerva feel more refreshed. Slowly, Albus stretched again and glanced at the clock on the opposite wall.

"I'd better get changed, lot's of stuff to do today and not enough time to do it in!" and with that he walked off to the bathroom without a word more. Minerva frowned. It was unusual for Albus to ignore her and walk off into the bathroom, especially when it was her birthday! Normally he was all over her and wouldn't stop kissing her every chance he got! Deciding to ignore it, Minerva sighed gently and steamed up the window. She lifted herself down from the windowsill and climbed off the bed. When her husband walked back into the bedroom ten minutes later, she walked straight to the bathroom without a word to him. Albus it seemed, didn't notice this one bit.

* * *

Albus sat at his desk opening the many letters from Cornelius Fudge and waited for Minerva to finish getting dressed in their bedroom. _Operation A seems to be working well,_ Albus thought happily to himself until his wife appeared from the bedroom in a gorgeous red velvet dress with silver trimmings. _Or maybe not... _Today Minerva had decided to leave her silky brown hair down and it made her look much younger than she really was.

"Ready dear?" asked Albus desperately trying to compose himself. If he didn't, his plan for her surprise would be ruined.

"Yes thank you," Minerva replied her smile faltering. _Surly he would have noticed I'm trying to make an effort!_ she thought angrily. Minerva had spent the last half-hour making herself look lovely and he did not even notice? _Apparently not…_ He merle offered her an arm and escorted her down to the great hall telling her of Cornelius' stupid plans for next year and how well the exam pass rate had gone up tremendously since ten years ago.

As soon as they reached the hall, Albus complimented Poppy Pomfrey, her best friend on how well she looked today. Poppy blushed and shyly muttered a 'Thank you'. Minerva was just about to engage Albus in conversation when Rolanda Hooch bounced through the door with a big smile on her face. As she unceremoniously plonked herself into the nearest seat on the table, Severus scowled at her.

"No one should be this happy at eight in the morning," he sneered at her in his customed fashioned way.

"Ah, getting ready to see the Falcons play the Cannons?" asked Albus as he saw the happy flight instructor pile a stack of toast onto her breakfast plate.

"Yes, and the Falcons will win!" she grinned happily and bounced in her chair.

"Obviously, because the Cannons are absolute rubbish!" Severus put in moodily as he poured pumpkin juice into his goblet.

"I didn't think they were a total waste of time," piped up Felix Flitwick as he balanced himself on a stack of cushions.

"No, I think the worst has to be the Rockets. Bottom of the division again!" said Albus as he tucked into his eggs and bacon, oblivious to Minerva, who tried numerous attempts at trying to engage him in conversation. Her anger was fuelled even more when he continued to engage in the Quidditch banter that was going back and forth across the table. In the end, Minerva sighed and just decided to go to the kitchens for breakfast if everyone was going to ignore her.

"I don't feel as hungry as I thought I did. I think I will go and mark a few pieces of homework I didn't mark last night." she interrupted sternly and pushed herself out of the chair.

"Ok, my dear." Albus dismissed absentmindedly.

As soon as Minerva got out the door, she stormed straight to her office. She was furious! No one it seemed had remembered her birthday! And worst of all, Albus did not seem to pay attention to her, he just ignored her! Minerva was so furious that when she caught Harry and Ginny kissing together in a secluded part of the corridor, she took twenty points each from Gryffindor. They both stood there with faces as red as Ginny's flaming hair as they watched her retreating back. Back in the great hall, Albus filled the staff in on the plan of action for the day.

"Well done, if this whole surprise works, you shall all get a Christmas pay rise. Oh, and if she asks you out for lunch or afternoon tea break, then politely decline and make up an excuse." he said with a small smile.

"You will have a very irritable tabby on your hands," warned Poppy, shaking her finger at him.

"She will forgive us if all goes according to plan, I hope" Albus said hopefully, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.

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	2. disapointment

Disclaimer: I own nothing...

Harsh Disapointment

Chapter 2

Nobody it seemed escaped the famous wrath of Professor McGonagall. She worked all of her classes harder to vent her frustration and punished the students harshly when they did not give Minerva the answers she wanted.

"It's just not fair!" exclaimed Fred as he and George walked out after her class in a rage. Minerva had given them a four-hour-each-day detention over Christmas for turning their owl in to a lama when it was supposed to be a badger.

"I only did it for a bit of Christmas cheer," George moaned miserably to his twin as they walked along the corridor.

"Yeah, I thought she would appreciate it," agreed Fred nodding furiously. "I know, I wonder what crawled up her backside this morning! McGonagall's not normally this grumpy, especially at Christmas!" ranted George as they climbed the moving staircases to the Gryffindor dorms.

"Well, what ever it is, she's keeping it up there!"

"Either that or Snape's playing a Christmas prank on us." replied George and both boys stopped for a moment then looked at each other with screwed up faces.

"Bad mental image! Not necessary! And besides, Snape doesn't have a sense of humour!" said George his face still screwed up.

"Or if he does, it's not a very good one," said Fred as they walked up to the fat lady who was trying to prove to the scholar in the painting next to her how well she could dance. "Humbugs,"

"No, no, no, no! Just wait and watch!" replied the fat lady as she waltzed and fell over her own feet.

"HUMBUGS!" shouted Fred in annoyance.

"Oh we are impatient today!" replied the Fat Lady looking highly affronted.

"Thank you." muttered Fred in annoyance. "Wow looks like were not the only ones she hit down hard,"

In the Gryffindor common room, every table was packed with frustrated looking people trying desperately to complete their workload for the next morning. Some of the seventh year girls looked on the edge of hysteria as every subject had given them extensive homework as their exams were coming up soon. The usual happy faces of Gryffindor had disappeared, only to be replayed by looks that could burn holes in the great tapestries.

"Oooh, something is really wrong with her," commented George as they walked past a few sour-faced fourth years that were snowed under with books of different ways to transfigure furniture and parchment.

"I'm thinking Gred and Forge need to do a little investigating," said Fred thoughtfully pinching his finger and thumb together under his chin as he stared around the room.

* * *

Minerva sat at her desk glaring at the fourth year's homework as if it had just made a rude gesture at her. She tried to think of anything that had gone wrong or seemed out of the ordinary over the past couple of weeks. The only thing Minerva could think of was the constant nights out at the Three Broomsticks with Poppy, Rolanda and Georgia. After a while, Minerva decided to investigate to see if there was any particular reason that her best friends had organised these trips. Picking up the latest romance novel that Poppy had lent her, Minerva strode purposefully out of her office and along the corridor, making a nervous Filius Flitwick topple off his little stepladder in the cupboard.

"Sorry Filius, would you like a hand in there?" Minerva offered politely as the little wizard climbed back up the steps, careful not to let her see what he was hiding in there.

"Oh, no thank you, Minerva. I'm almost done anyway, but thank you for the kind offer," Filius reassured her. Minerva nodded in understanding and carried on her journey to the hospital wing.

"Poppy, are you in here?" Minerva asked when walked into the hospital wing ten minutes later. She heard Poppy gasp and then a cluttering noise came from behind the curtain along the left side of the gloomy hospital wing.

"Are you ok Poppy?" Minerva asked with concern as she made her way down to the curtain. Poppy poked her head around a curtain and smiled at her then started to clear the bedside table.

"Yes, thank you Minerva. You just gave me a fright that's all. I wasn't expecting you!" she said airily. "So what can I do for you? I assume there is no student accident for lack of student body beside you," Minerva decided to get straight to the point.

"Is there some sort of staff prank that I don't know about? Why is everyone ignoring me?" She demanded.

"Who is ignoring you? If there were a staff prank surly you would be in on the joke too? We all know that when you participate, the joke only gets better, so I shouldn't think so." Poppy replied cautiously, busying herself with the range of potions on the bedside table.

"It's not just that though. Everybody, including you, seems to have forgotten that it's my birthday today!" Minerva said miserably and sat on the bed.

"It's your birthday today? Oh Merlin, I've been so busy and everything, I forgot! Minerva I'm so sorry!" Poppy said sympathetically and clasped her hand over her mouth for effect. She sat down by the side of Minerva and hugged her soothingly.

"Maybe we could go out this afternoon to the pub with Rolanda and Georgia?" Minerva suggested hopefully. "Oh Minerva I can't, I have to go to St Mungo's this afternoon to hand in my coursework on new medicine's. Ro's got that quidditch meeting with Ludo Bagman as she is on the Quidditch Committee and Georgia has to visit her husband as he has gone back into hospital." Poppy lied, feeling a little ashamed of herself. _You had better make this a good surprise, Albus. _

"Oh, ok," said Minerva offhandedly. "I'll see if Albus will talk to me," With having said that, Minerva stalked out of the hospital wing just as tears began to roll down her sculptured cheekbones.

"Oh stop it, this is childish!" Minerva scolded herself as she walked along the corridor, wiping her face with her tissue, as the tears came streaming down her face uncontrollably.

"It's ok Ro, you can come out!" called Poppy from behind the curtain and witch with a pair of golden eyes and silver hair appeared.

"Nice work Poppy, now we can focus on a few preparations." said Rolanda excitedly.

"I feel so rotten for letting her down that way, I do hope she will forgive us!" said Poppy sadly as she straightened out the bed covers Minerva had been sitting on.

"Oh come on poppy, once she see's what we have in store for her, of course she will forgive us! Come on let's go, just in case she comes back," Rolanda grabbed Poppy's hand and dragged her out of the hospital wing. Quickly looking out into the entrance to check if the coast was clear, the two witches hopped onto a broomstick and flew down to the quidditch pitch to prepare for the surprise later that evening.

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	3. More Disapointment

Disclaimer: No No No aaaaaand NO! I don't own anything!

More Disapointment

Chapter 3

For most of the morning, Fred and George sat in their usual spot in the corner next to the window, planning ways to find out what upset Professor McGonagall so much. Every so often, they would come up with a good plan, only to be ruined by Hermione who pointed out the little flaw as she sat on a squishy poof adding an extra foot to her potions' assignment. It seemed she wanted to help her favourite professor too and suggested things to them while she worked.

"You know, I wonder if the rest of the teachers know anything of this?" suggested George as he sighed in defeat, screwing up what they thought was a good plan and threw it into the fire.

"Good shot George. Hmm, Hermione have you noticed anything odd about the teachers?" asked Fred curiously glancing over to Hermione who was sat crouched only two inches away from her parchment.

"You know, I once heard that if you keep your nose that far away from the parchment, you go cross-eyed." Hermione sat up and poked her tongue out at the cheeky Gryffindor. Touching the end of the feather quill with her nose, Hermione looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling as she thought about her morning. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, Snape was in his usual Snape-mood stalking around the dungeons making waspish comments, Jackson the Ancient Runes teacher seemed his usual bouncy self and Binns droned the class into their usual stupor. But Flitwick...

"When Professor McGonagall walked in to Charms, Flitwick hid something from her. I could tell because when she asked what it was he turned pink and changed the subject quickly by diverting her to me. I think that was the only thing out of the ordinary," She answered finally. Fred and George looked at each other then sat up from their slouched positions.

"Hey, do you think you could do a bit of digging around for us?" asked Fred with a winning smile.

"Yeah, because she's-"

"In a really bad mood-"

"And hates our guts-"

"And is proberly planning-"

"To expel us plus-"

"You're her favourite-"

"Student, Hermione-"

"Pretty please?" they said pleadingly as both got down on their knee's and batted their eyelashes at her. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked down at the twins who were now blowing kisses at her.

"But what shall I say?"

"Well we know she has a weakness for lost kittens so, I figured in my highly evolved brain of mine, that you could transfigure something into a kitten and say that you found it by the forbidden forest when you went for a walk in the snow." said Fred happily with the air of pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

"Ingenious Fred, then you can probe her and ask her about her day etc, etc. Make her feel better,"

"What do you think? Pretty good, huh?"

Hermione raised an amused eyebrow and looked skeptically at them.

"You really think she will fall for it?"

"She's upset right? The last thing she wants is some poor creature to be rejected. She might even count it as a friend if no one else is talking to her or whatever, who knows?" shrugged Fred.

"I think this should be done soon though, if the teachers are behind this then we need to act quickly before they do something," said George seriously.

* * *

Minerva decided to go and pay Severus a visit, as her husband was nowhere to be found. She had tried his usual hidey-holes, like his astronomy outlook and, the alockment over the other side of the forbidden forest but she found neither hide nor hair of him. Minerva had wondered if Severus knew anything, because if he did then he would tell her just to annoy the hell out of her. Striding down the long dungeon corridor, she saw a faint light, which meant that Severus was in his office. Minerva knocked on the door and waited to enter. While she waited she heard a strange muffle and the sound of something smashing against the ground. A second later, Severus opened the door, stepped outside and shut it quickly again. 

"Hello Minerva, what can I do for you?" he said smoothly and upon seeing the look of confusion and bewilderment on her face he added "You startled me, I knocked over a vial which had a poison in. I just opened my window to let it out,"

"Oh? And what are you doing with poison in your office?" Minerva demanded sternly, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow.

"For OTHER matters I wish not to go into," he muttered quietly enough for her to hear. Minerva understood immediately what he had meant. She knew it must be hard for Severus to keep up with his Death Eater duties, as well as his research, and schoolwork.

"I came down here to ask you if you have noticed anything unusual about the staff. It seems that most people have forgotten my Birthday today and I intend on finding out why. It has vanished from the staff calendar for some reason and I know I certainly put it on there when I put it in the staffroom in January." she explained to him, hoping he would enlighten her.

"Well Happy Birthday for starters and I can't think why anyone would remove your name from the staff calendar unless it was for a dare or a prank." Severus shrugged uninterestedly and lent against the wall. Minerva sighed and threw up her arms in defeat. If Severus didn't know anything about it, then no one else would.

"Thank you Severus." Minerva replied tiredly. "Oh, you wouldn't know where Albus has run off to, would you?"

"No, I have not seen the old coot since breakfast. Perhaps he left for ministry business? You know what that fool, Fudge, is like." Severus drawled.

"Also why has Albus decided to let the student's have the rest of the afternoon off? It seems everybody knows more than I do, and I'm supposed to be his deputy, for Merlin's sake!"

"No doubt to let them go to play in the snow, you know what he's like. Not that I'm complaining, it gives me time to finish my research." Severus curled his lip in disgust and stared at her through his curtain of back hair.

"Lucky them," she muttered bitterly, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to pour down her cheeks once more. "Looks like I'll be marking my seventh years essays this afternoon as that's all the excitement I'll be looking forward too. Thanks again Severus, see you at dinner."

Severus nodded and walked back into his office. He hoped the headmaster's plan would work tonight because though he did not show it, he cared about her quite a bit for Minerva as she had always looked out for him.

"It's alright, Minerva has gone now." he called in a bored voice.

"So how long will it take then do you think?" asked Rolanda as she tried to untangled herself from his private ingredients cupboard as some sticky substance had stuck her teaching cloak to the back of it. "What the hell is this stuff?"

Turning around to see what she was talking about, Severus smirked as Rolanda tried tugging her cloak, only to find the plant sucking her back into the cupboard.

"Here, allow me. Incendiosa!" he drawled and the sticky plant curled up back in the cupboard. "The Devils Advocate, relative of Devils Snare. The plant sticks to you and once it has covered you it suffocates you to death. You have to heat it up to make it un-stick you. It's very handy for catching thieves who decide to steal from my store cupboard though, as I've bewitched it just to hold the person or people prisoner until I walk into my office."

"You could have told me it was in there!" Rolanda huffed in annoyance, straightening out her robes.

"Where's the fun in that?" Severus smirked and she swatted him playfully on the arm.

"Ooh you are horrible,"

"That's what I live for," he replied nastily and turned his back to Rolanda to add a different ingredient to simmering caldron. Severus knew that if her argued with her, the argument would go on for days, and occasionally she would win. He thought back to the time when they had literally fought with each other on the Quidditch pitch. They had both ended up rolling on the ground, trying to best each other. Apart from finding out that she was a good fighting partner, he had also found out from their rough and tumble that she had a very fit body. Since then he had harboured a secret crush on her and took every opportunity to start a fight, hoping that it would end up like before.

"Severus, you're smiling!"

"Hmm? No I wasn't," said Severus denying the accusation instinctively, mentally berated himself for letting his mask slip for a split second.

"Yes you were, I'm not blind I know what I saw!" Rolanda grinned, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Oh so shoot me, so I was. Is it illegal?" he asked coldly, rounding on her.

"No, it's just I've never seen you smile like that. You looked almost happy for a split second. You should do it more often, it makes you look quite handsome." Rolanda said smiling slightly. Severus said nothing, not trusting himself to say what was really going through his mind at that moment.

"So when will it be done?" Rolanda asked again after a while of watching him to see if he would smile again.

"Erm, two hours I should think. Come and collect it at half two," he replied while checking the temperature of the liquid. Rolanda walked up beside him, stood on tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she grabbed a handful of Floo powder and disappeared back down to the quidditch pitch where Poppy was waiting for her. Severus, who could not quite believe what had just happened to him, froze then once she had gone and smiled a full proper smile.

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	4. Hermione's chat

Disclaimer: I own N.O.T.H.I.N.G. Is that clear? Good...

Hermione's Chat

Chapter 4

Hermione had never been so nervous in her life. Here she was standing outside her head of houses office with a kitten clutched in her hands. Having completely forgotten the story that Fred and George told her to tell she decided that she would just ask her professor what was wrong. Hermione Granger was after all, Professor McGonagall's most trusted student, so she must be able to tell her something. So Hermione just put the small, fluffy kitten in her pocket and knocked gently on the door.

Minerva had never felt so miserable in her life. Sitting by the window in her small office with a box of extra soft tissues on her lap, her green eyes welling up with tears, wishing she were only a teenager again having a snowball fight and ice skating on the lake. Minerva remembered the time when Alastor Moody, who was in his seventh year at the time, chased Poppy right over the other side of the lake because she refused to give him a kiss under the mistletoe. Her and Poppy must have only been in their third year, because they were only just starting to get over the fact that boys were just as important as working your socks off for the best grades. A smile graced Minerva's features as she was plunged into more thought about that day as the ice had broken when Poppy and Alastor tried to skate back over to the other side and they remained over there for most of the day.

A small knock tore Minerva away from her memory and she rushed over to the mirror on the other side of the room to dab her eyes. Once satisfied, she made her way over to the door and opened it.

"Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" she inquired softly to the young Gryffindor.

"Hello Professor, can I talk to you?" Hermione replied timidly. Minerva smiled kindly.

"Of course you can, you can talk to me anytime you like." she replied, trying to pull herself together. Hermione followed her professor in to the small office, which was over-crowded with paperwork and surrounded by pictures of muggle artists on the walls. Trying carefully to shut the door without knocking the slanting pile of books behind the door, she took the chance to look a bit more closely at the drawing beside the mirror on the wall opposite.

"You like my paintings?" asked the older witch as she watched Hermione gaze around the room.

"Yes, I didn't expect you to like muggle art." she replied sheepishly.

"Sometimes muggle art is more expressive, sometimes I feel I can relate to it. I have a collage in my privet quarters of all the artist who inspire me to paint." she explained while she cleared a pile of homework off another chair behind her desk. "Albus has one as well. But he isn't a very arty person."

"Who drew the picture of you by the mirror?" Hermione asked gaining confidence as she searched for someway to ask Minerva what was troubling her.

"That was Severus Snape when he was in his seventh year. I confiscated that one when he was supposed to be taking notes. He said that I could keep it when I tried to give it back to him." Minerva smiled and glanced at the expression of awe on her young students' face."Yes, I know he is as brilliant with his art as he is with his potions." she added.

Hermione stared at the very life like picture of her Professor standing gracefully in the picture as she demonstrated advanced Transfiguration to the class. _She was very pretty in her youth,_ she thought absentmindedly.

"So, what did you want to talk about then?" said Minerva. "I…um, well, you have been very out of sorts today and I just wondered whether you were alright…" Hermione trailed off.

_Such a thoughtful young lady, reminds me of when I was young…_ Minerva thought and she smiled at her.

"Well, first off, thank you for asking. But why are you concerned about me?"

"It's just not like you to be so harsh to everyone. Especially at Christmas," Hermione replied, wringing her hands nervously. Minerva sighed.

"I have been a bit too harsh haven't I?" she whispered as the tears shone in her eyes. Wiping them away with a small tissue, she sniffed and looked back at the young Gryffindor.

"What's wrong Professor?"

"No one has remembered my birthday is today. Worst of all, I…" she stopped and remembered that Hermione did not know about her and Albus being married and mentally berated herself for letting herself slip up. "Nevermind," she waved it off distractedly

"I haven't even had cards or letters from my family!" Hermione walked around the desk and comforted her professor by sticking her arm around her and gingerly patting her on the back. Out of the corner of one eye, she noticed a plastic ear squeezed between the stack of books next to the door.

On the other side of the door, Fred and George had the other end of the extended earpiece, and were both listening intently to what the women were saying. George looked up at his twin with a thoughtful look on his face. "What do you think Fred?" he whispered.

"I think that everyone knows it's her birthday, I wonder why…"

"Surprise birthday bash?" suggested George and gave the ear a yank.

"Proberly. Who do you think is best to ask?"

"Which teacher do we get on with the most?"

"Madam Hooch since were her favourite beaters," replied Fred with a grin. "I say we should take a little trip to the Quidditch pitch, what do you think?"

"You took the words right out of my mouth, lets go now" The twins stood up and started to walk along the main corridor when Filch spotted them.

"Quick George, in here!" said Fred quickly as he shoved Fred into a secret passage.

"OI! GET BACK HERE!" shouted Filch as he hobbled down the corridor after them only to turn the dead-end corner to find they had disappeared yet again.

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	5. What's Going On?

Disclaimer: Noooooooo I own nothing!

What's Going On?

Chapter 5

Down and down the steps of the secret staircase, in which Fred and George had discovered with the help of Snape and the Marauders map in their third year, they carried the passage down until they appeared at the back of Sir Ulrick on the ground floor. Their mission: to find Madam Hooch and interrogate her about the surprise birthday bash. Running down the steps and over to the Quidditch pitch, they came to a halt because of a striding figure heading in the same direction.

"Damn, Snape would have to ruin our heroic ten minutes wouldn't he?" muttered George as both of them dived and tumbled into the nearest bush. Fred sighed in annoyance.

"What do you think? Shall we sit and wait or creep up and hide?" he suggested to his twin.

"Where shall we hide? I suppose we could always hide under the bridge and use the extendable ears?" muttered George thoughtfully.

"Yeah, that sounds ok. Once Snape's gone we can confront her,"

"Bribe her-"

"Flatter her,"

"Shh, hang on Snapes in, let's go!" whispered George as the black figure disappeared from the corner of his eye and the twins crept forward, then ran straight down to the entrance of the pitch, down the ramp and under the bridge.

"Ok, go!" whispered Fred and gave his twin the thumbs up.

Severus realised that his potion had simmered a little quicker than he thought it might so, he decided to measure it out and take the dose down to the Quidditch pitch himself. Hoping that Poppy would be still out preparing a few things, he hoped he could see Rolanda in private. Unfortunately when he knocked on the door of the Flight instructors changing rooms, that were not the case, not only was Poppy there but also Georgia Sprout the mad Head of Hufflepuff was too.

"Hello ladies," Severus greeted them all in his usual drawl. "The potion brewed faster than I expected so I bought it down here myself"

Poppy looked up from her preparation notes and raised an eyebrow.

"How are we going to get her to take it?" Georgia clapped her hands together and bounced up and down on the small poof near the shower. "I know, why don't I go and see her? Maybe we can figure something out from there?" she suggested excitedly.

"Hmm, won't she suspect something? Your not supposed to be here after all..." asked Severus skeptically.

"She's really upset, perhaps she won't. Albus never told us how to administer it to her so I suppose it's worth a try?" said Rolanda with a shrug. Only a few metres away, Fred and George wondered what on earth this mysterious potion was.

"Love potion?" breathed Fred.

"Could be…" shrugged George.

"Well I've done my piece, this is up to you ladies," Severus drawled in a bored way and started to walk back out the door when-

"Oh Severus!" said Rolanda quickly. Severus turned around as she shut the door. "Thank you for coming to visit me!" she whispered and winked. Severus smirked in return.

"See you in a few hours…" he raised his eyebrows mysteriously and walked off his cloak billowing behind him. With big, smug grins on their faces, Fred and George rolled up the extendable ears and crawled out from under the bridge. Rolanda was still watching the dark figure gradually making his way up to the school, when the twins decided to ambush her.

"Ooh I detect a love affair don't you George?" Fred winked knowingly to his twin. The smile of happiness on Rolanda's face soon turned to one of horror as she turned to face her would-have-been-favourite beaters who looked like Santa had bought the two of them an extra special presents early.

"Oh yes, imagine, the school would go positively wild at this juicy piece of gossip ay Fred?" George grinned like a cat that had just eaten a particularly fat mouse and pretended if he could see the student body in front of him now.

"And so would Professor McGonagall if she knew all about your secret meetings with the staff" Fred waggled his finger at her mockingly.

"What do you want?" she snapped at them.

"Now, now, Madam. Speak nicely or we will talk!" said Fred solemnly as he imitated professor Dumbledore, lifting up one hand.

"We want to know what this is all about because as a result of this 'secret bash', we got a four-hour-each-day detention," explained George. Knowing that she would not get out of this, Rolanda just decided to tell them. She explained the reason to the twins the secrecy of the operation and their mouths began to open in surprise and shock. It took them a whole ten minutes to recover from what she had told them.

"So, are you going to be of some use or am I going to wipe your memory?" Rolanda smiled slyly. After a good deal of bantering, In the end the twins agreed, and she told them the idea that had just accumulated as they told her how they found out about the surprise bash.

"I need you to talk to Miss Granger and get her to feed this to Minerva some how. Understand?" she commanded.

"Abserloutly." agreed Fred.

"We'll do it now," suggested George.

"See you a bit then," Rolanda said with a grin on her face as she told almost the entire story to Poppy and Georgia when she walked back into her changing rooms. After all, she did not need them teasing her about Severus as well.

* * *

Hermione was still with her poor professor by the time Fred and George appeared at the door at half past one. In a few hours time, Minerva would have forgotten her woes and started to cry with tears of joy when she saw what Albus had in store for her. A knock at the door startled both women out of their wits and Hermione insisted that she would answer it while Minerva pulled herself together.

"Hello Miss Hermione, could we have a word a minute?" asked Fred pompously, trying to sound like Percy. Suspicious of the pair of them, Hermione excused herself for a moment and slipped out the door.

"What have you done?" Hermione questioned them and folded her arms as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, nothing serious." Fred grinned at her and patted the top of her head.

"We need you to get McGonagall to drink some of this. It's the reverse of an ageing potion," explained George.

"Are you insane? I'm not going to do that, it's against the rules!" Hermione whispered frantically.

"Were not, but professor Dumbledore is, this is his idea. Trust me, we know everything." said Fred and George nodded in ascent. Hermione sighed. She was torn between helping her best professor or the Headmaster. Hermione hoped that whatever it was that Dumbledore had cooked up that it had better be good.

"How?"

"Just make her a cup of tea and get her to rest. The potion will make her sleepy so you don't have to worry about that. Once she's asleep, come down to the Quidditch pitch and you shall know all." said George imitating Trelawney by pretending to gaze in awe at the ceiling.

"Fine. See you there," she replied stiffly and took the potion from them then stalked back into Minerva's office. Hermione put on a brave face and walked back into her professor's office pretending to look disgusted. "Don't worry, just Fred and George up to their usual tricks." she lied to Minerva when she looked questioningly back at her. Minerva rolled their eyes.

"Do those two never quit?" she replied feeling quite annoyed with them.

"Apparently not. They wanted to 'try their Weasleys Extra Soaking Water Bombs' on someone." she huffed while feeling very guilty at the same time.Why had she agreed to do this? _Because you care for your professor that's why,_ her subconscience told her in the back of her mind.

"Would you like a cup of herbal tea?" asked Minerva as she watched her young charge thinking.

"Sorry?" Hermione shook her head and focused on her professor.

"Tea?"

"Oh yes please, I'll make it" she suggested a little too quickly as Minerva's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that…_I wonder what they really talked to her about outside?_ She thought as she watched Hermione who now had her back to her make and pour the tea in the corner. Once Hermione had poured the potion into her tea and was satisfied with the colour it, she put two cups on the tray and a plate of biscuits the house elves had left earlier. Carefully she carried the tea over to the table and gave Minerva hers.

"So before the interruption, are you serious on becoming an animagus?" Minerva eyed her student as she drank her tea.

"Oh yes, I've read all about them, I find it fascinating. It would be really useful as well." said Hermione enthusiastically so that her professor did not suspect anything.

"This is not something you can read out of a book. It requires an awful lot of hard work on your part and if you are truly interested, I shall get an application form from the ministry for you." Minerva yawned. I had only just dawned on her that she was beginning to feel very light headed and sleepy…

"I shall not do it today, I am really quite tired."

"Well maybe you should go and lay down? It will make you feel better…" suggested Hermione. Minerva yawned again.

"Yes I-I…Think I might. I'm so sorry," she apologised.

"That's ok. I need to finish my Potions essay. I'll see you later professor," said Hermione as she took the half-empty cups to the sink, grabbed her bag and walked out the door. Minerva waved her out the door, muttered the password to the mirror and an entrance appeared. She rarely used her own quarters except when Albus had been sent to the ministry or when he was evicted around the Chamber of Secrets time. Undressing as she went, Minerva grabbed her husbands' spare dressing gown and curled up in a cat-like position on the bed. Once asleep, the potion began to take affect as she was transformed into a beautiful young woman for the next 24 hours.

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	6. Checking up and Preparing

Checking Up and Preparing

Chapter 6

Hermione ran as fast as she could down to the quidditch pitch to find out what the stink was about. After delivering the goods and expecting her to pull that kind of stunt on her professor, she damn well hoped they had a good answer. Of course, when she got down to the Quidditch pitch, Fred and George she was told by Professor Sprout were helping Madam Hooch with a few 'preparations'. So Hermione was told to "Go and ask Madam Pomfrey for some answers because I'm about to help Hagrid decorate the great hall with flowers now Minerva was asleep," Professor Sprout told her cheerfully.

At half past two Albus finally made his rounds to see if everyone was on target for Minerva's birthday surprise. He had been married to her fifty years today and he decided that this year he was going to make not only her best birthday ever but her best anniversary. After all, it was the big five-zero, the golden one. Albus had spent the better part of the day with his brother Aberforth, running round to relatives of his and Minerva's, for the special evening. Humming to himself while walking along the third floor on the way to his office, he decided to check up on his Tabby, to make sure she was ready for the big evening. Tiptoeing quietly as he could into her private chambers, for waking her would ruin the whole plan. He wanted to check that everything was on target for tonight. Upon opening the bedroom door as quietly as he could, he peered in and around the room and saw a sleeping Minerva stretched out over the four-poster bed in his dressing gown. Smiling to himself, he shut the door.

Now the second part of the plan was to take place. Albus swept throughout the corridors and down to the entrance hall where Georgia and Hagrid were waiting patiently for the go-ahead to decorate the great hall. Abby Vector and her husband Colin were also there with all the decorations as they had been sent to Diagon Alley to get them. Once Albus had given them the thumbs up, they all rushed into the great hall and immediately got to work. Albus stayed and supervised the magical work that his staff was doing to make the great hall live up to its name. Blue, purple and white ribbons stretched across the walls, intertwined with one another as the held ice that was charmed not to melt in the shape of a snowflake. Hagrid had bought in the usual Christmas tree's but covered them with real snow and Filius Flitwick who came in to help later, used an advanced incantation to make it sparkle. The floor had been turned into ice making; little round tables made out of ice and chairs to match that would seat a maximum of six people were spread around the great hall. All of it of course was charmed not to melt and stay frozen but not feel frozen because Albus knew he would have a very angry Poppy to speak to if she had hundreds of students with frostbite coming to her for remedies. Looking around and helping where he could, Albus saw that the hall had been turned into the winter wonderland and he knew Minerva would love it. Only one isle would be left and that isle she would walk down to him at the very end of the great hall. He looked at his watch and saw it was quarter to four. At six the service would start. Albus gathered all of the staff together in the staffroom for a last briefing, to check everything was well and accounted for.

"Ok, Severus had made the potion and it has been administered to Minerva." Albus ticked of the list as he went.

"Poppy and Rolanda have the dresses ready and waiting, including Minerva's?" he asked peering over his half moon glasses at the two ladies by the fire.

"Yes Albus. We shall wake her at five to get her ready." confirmed Poppy with a nod.

"Well done, ladies. George, what about the band? Did you manage to get _The Flyers_? They're Minerva's favourite," Albus asked the Muggle Studies Professor.

"Yes, I persuaded them. They said they remembered her from their school days so they will play her favourites plus the song you requested."

"Excellent, Hagrid, Georgia, Abby and Colin have decorated the Great hall magnificently. And how are the students?" Albus inquired to the rest of the teachers who did not have a main part in the plan.

"Well, the Ravenclaw's have been ready and waiting for hours." said Sophia Sinistra from her corner near the window.

"And the Gryffindors are just as eager," piped up Marcus Reeves the Head of languages teacher.

"Slytherin's are behaving like they usually do before a ball; excited and chatty." drawled Severus.

"The Hufflepuff's are the same as the Ravenclaw's, Albus" agreed Jonathan Rowe the German teacher.

"Oh good, they're all hyped up then? Excellent. I advise you to wear something warm tonight. Although the ice and snow won't feel frozen, there will be no heating." Albus advised. He looked at his watch. It was Four forty. "Well, that's all ladies and gentlemen, see you all in an hour. Meeting adjourned."

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	7. SURPRISE!

A/n: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and everyone who will review in the future! You all ROCK! It is all appreciated!

SURPRISE!

Chapter 7

Many of the teachers rushed back to their private chambers to shower and get changed for the ball. Many had rushed out to buy their robes at the last minute what with all the fuss over homework, course work and meetings to keep up with. Albus had warned them of a "snow" ball so they had naturally bought velvet robes and furs to keep them warm instead of the usual silks and fine materials that one would normally associate with balls. The students had been advised in their Hogwarts letters to wear warm robes too. Minerva had questioned Albus about this ball many times and Albus had just shrugged and said cheerfully, "At times like this, we all need a bit of cheer." So she had suspected nothing.

Poppy and Rolanda were getting ready for the ball in Rolanda's quarters. At Five to five, both women were ready having showered and done their hair up before the meeting. All they really had to do was put on their Make-up, dress robes and shoes. Poppy was finished first so she was off down the corridor to Minerva's chambers to prepare everything quietly. Rolanda took longer because she was hoping to impress a certain Potions Master. Poppy crept inside Minerva's chambers and laid her dress over the Italian-made couch. She gathered all her make-up and spread it over the dresser for Minerva to choose. Rolanda arrived a few seconds later who had bought Minerva's shoes and put them beside the couch joined poppy. After, she ran into the bathroom and started to run her a bath. With everything ready, Poppy began to stir Minerva.

"Min, wake up!" Minerva mumbled something incoherent.

"Come on Tab's!" Poppy coaxed and started to poke her friend in the side.

"Don't call me that either!" Minerva muttered and slapped her friends' hand. "Come on, were taking you out!" said Poppy firmly.

"You forgot my Birthday, you think I'm going to forgive you that easily?" she replied stormily.

"You will when you see what we've got in store for you Min!" called Rolanda from the bathroom. Minerva turned over and put her pillow over her head.

"Ro, I need help!" shouted Poppy to the flight instructor.

"I know that Poppy, I've been telling you for years!"

"NOT that sort of help!" Rolanda grinned at her friend as she plucked a quill from Minerva's desk and strode over to her bed. She started to tickle Minerva's neck and Minerva turned over and swotted her on the arm.

"Stop it, the both of you!" she said angrily to the pair of them.

"We shall only stop it when you get up and get in the bath!" retorted Rolanda and crossed her arms.

"Fine!" Minerva stormed over to the bathroom and shut the door with a snap.

"Don't be too long, the show starts at six!" shouted Rolanda through the door.

"Show?" inquired Poppy.

"It'll make her think were off to see something," she shrugged and started to make her bed. Ten minutes later once her temper had subsided, Minerva was out the bath. As soon as she saw them she stared at them. She never realised before when they awoke her that they were all dressed up.

"You both look great in those outfits," she commented. Rolanda was wearing a strapless deep red dress that hugged her curvy figure with a velvet shawl and her hair was done up in a French twist. Poppy was wearing periwinkle blue dress that hung on to her shoulders with a shawl, her hair done up in a plat at the back.

"We have one for you too, we thought you would look great in a dark velvety blue." said Poppy and she showed her best friend the dress on the couch. Minerva bent down and touched it. It felt so good!

"Come on, we've got to get you dressed and ready. You put the dress on in the bathroom and when you return, Poppy will do you're hair and I'll do you're make-up. We're going full out tonight!" Rolanda said excitedly. Minerva smiled a full smile for the fist time that day. She felt quite excited as to what they had in store for her. It was only when she sat down at her dressing table that she saw a younger version of herself appear in the mirror. Minerva gasped and asked what they had done to make this happen. Both women just smiled mysteriously and said that they would explain everything later. Once both women had worked their magic on her, Minerva simply looked divine.

"Swear you were a princess in another life!" admired Poppy and Minerva twirled around and admired herself in the long mirror.

At Ten to six, all three women made their way down to the great hall. Albus paced in his office. He too had taken the same potion Severus had made for Minerva and now he had to wait for another fifteen minutes until it was time to go down to the great hall. _By now, all the teachers should be almost ready and are making their way down to the great hall with all the students in toe,_ he thought. Aberforth walked through his fire causing Albus to jump in fright.

"Sorry old man, didn't mean to scare you! I say you look fantastic! Minerva will love you more for this!" said Aberforth and slapped his big brother on the back.

"I sure hope so, I'm nervous that something will go wrong!" Albus confessed and started pacing again.

"Oh, Albus, there really is no need to be nervous! Everything had worked perfectly. The family is here, the kids are settled into the hall, Filius is ready and above all, Minerva's nearly ready. Trust me," said Aberforth soothingly.

"Last time you said 'Trust me' we ended up with a pair of goats living in the spare bedroom," Albus said dryly.

"That was different. Anyway, it wasn't so bad." Aberforth replied defensively.

"Albus, you've fought wars and not blinked an eye! Stop being a wuss!" shouted Dilly's from the portrait behind his desk.

"She's right you know," agreed Everard standing up to take a good look at the man standing in front of his portrait. Albus sighed nervously.

"Well ladies and gentlemen, it is time." said Aberforth and the portraits started to cheer Albus on out the door.

Making their way down the stairs, Minerva kept asking questions about what they were going to see.

"Oh it is one of the best shows in town!" replied Rolanda giving Poppy a slight wink.

"Abserloutly, you will love it!" she joined on.

"But what is it about?" asked Minerva excitedly.

"Oh you will see. I need to pop into the great hall and ask Abby if she got me a camera yesterday in town" Rolanda lied to steer them into the Great Hall.

"Does Albus know about this?" she asked her two best friends.

"Oh yes, we asked him last week!" said Poppy airily.

"But I thought...Oh Merlin!" gasped Minerva as she saw the great hall roll in to view. Everyone was there. It had been transformed into an ice hall!

"Happy Birthday Minerva!" the two witches whispered in her ears as she stared around in amazement as to what her colleagues had done to the great hall. Ice chairs and tables that had different coloured candles which flashed different colours on them, Ice floor, snow piled up against the walls and over the trees, the enchanted ceiling was snowing; it reminded her of a crystal palace her and Albus had once visited years ago. And speaking of Albus, he looked 50 years younger... The students cheered once they had seen her at the door. Poppy and Rolanda stood either side of her and walked her up to the end of the isle where Albus, Aberforth and Filius were standing. Albus sucked in his breath at the sight of her. She looked beautiful. Once they had reached the top she walked over to Albus and kissed him. The audience had died down once they saw Albus was about to speak.

"Minerva my wife, I have been married to you for fifty years. You have stood by my side like a rock throughout the hard times; you have mothered my children and mentored all those who have passed through these doors. I wish for you to renew our vows of love and trust as your fiftieth anniversary gift," said Albus to the women of his dreams. "I love you,"

Minerva felt so over whelmed by the small speech. Looking around the silent crowd of students, staff and family, she saw the anticipation on their faces.

"Oh course I will you old fool!" she laughed and kissed him then they both turned to Filius who was standing on some books made of ice to lift him above their knees to their heads. Minerva laughed again when she saw the sculpture. Rolanda went to sit with their other colleagues on the nearest table. Severus had saved Rolanda a seat next to him and beckoned her to sit with him. Poppy went to sit next to her husband Alastor Moody on the table next to the staff.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today for the renewal of the wedding vowels." Filius started. Throughout the whole ceremony, the students sat quietly and watched the happy couple renew their vowels. The staff watched contentedly as they saw that everything had gone according to plan and that once again, Albus was right. Minerva was happy when she found out about her surprise. Although, the best bit was yet to come.

Once the ceremony had finished, Albus lead Minerva over to a secluded table to themselves while the crowd clapped and cheered. Over the din they could here the Weasley twins cat calling and whistling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention please. Thank you," shouted Aberforth over the noise and everyone immediately died down. "Thank you for being so patient with us, now let the feast begin!"

All at once the menu's appeared on the tables with the plates, knives and forks. Everyone sixth year and above already knew what to do as they had been shown at the previous ball during the triwizard tournament. Once the lower years had got the hang of it, they went back for more.

"Thank you so much for this Albus." Minerva said softy to him from across the table.

"You didn't really think I could forget our wedding anniversary let alone you're birthday," grinned Albus. "Pork chops, gravy, peas, carrots and mash potato's" he said to the menu and they appeared on his plate.

"So this is what the 'ball' was all about?" she asked mischievously.

"Abserloutly. I've been planning this for months and it has turned out perfect." Minerva smiled.

* * *

"Well who would have thought it, McGonagall and Dumbledore were married with kids!" said Ron with mash potato rolling around in his mouth.

"Ron do you have to eat while you're talking?" Hermione sniffed.

"Sorry, but really, who would have thought it?"

"I would have, I think it's sweet and what a way to say 'Happy anniversary' too" replied Hermione with a dreamy look on her face.

"I makes sense too, I thought they were just good friends." Harry piped up.

"I suppose. Did you too know anything about this?" Ron asked his brothers.

"What us dear brother?" grinned Fred while helping himself to some more carrots.

"Why yes little brother!" replied George with the air of surprise.

"And you never told us?"

"If we had have told you, I would have gone around the school like wild fire and ruin the whole surprise. Besides we swore on our future prank shop to Madam Hooch."

"That explains why you never told me!" said Lee Jordan in mock anger and the others laughed.

* * *

"I'm so happy it turned out all right! I wonder what song their going to sing," sighed Sophia happily as she finished her chicken leg. The staff had been wondering about this other song that The Flyers were supposedly going to sing ever since Albus mentioned it in the great hall that morning.

"Perhaps it's a new song?" suggested Severus.

"What after all these years? I thought they stopped releasing records," replied Marcus while finishing his fine red wine.

"Perhaps it's a song we never herd of? One the never released at all?" said Rolanda thoughtfully.

"Could be."

* * *

Aberforth stood up once again to make an announcement once everybody had finished their meals. Once he had caught everyone's attention by standing in an odd position (Imagine an old rock star pose), he called upon everybody to sing Minerva 'happy birthday'.

"Ahh thank you very much everybody and now, for some much more satisfactory music, we have _The Flyers_!" he announced and four old wizards and one witch dressed in Christmas gear walked onto the stage behind the book statue.

"Oh my Albus! You did this for me?" squealed Minerva happily to her husband.

"I certainly did!" and he got up, kissed her on the cheek then walked onto the stage and picked up the microphone.

"I dedicate this song to my beautiful wife, Minerva."

The crowed went wild at the prospect of their headmaster singing a song for his wife. Minerva couldn't believe it. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she might faint! The band stuck up behind him and Albus began to sing.

"_You're just too good to be true,_

_Can't take my eye's off of you,_

_You'd be like heaven to touch,_

_I want to hold you so much,_

_At long last love has arrived,_

_AndI thank god I'm alive,_

_You're just too good to be true,_

_Can't take my eyes off of you."_

Under the staff table, Severus inter-twined his hand with Rolanda's and she blushed which made her look even more pretty. Minerva looked at her husband as he sang in a deep rich voice to her as tears of happiness rolled down her cheek.

"_Pardon the way that I stare._

_There's nothing else to compare._

_The sight of you leaves me weak._

_There are no words left to speak._

_But if you feel like how I feel._

_Please let me know that it's real._

_You're just too good to be true._

_Can't take my eyes off you."_

Many of the students had got up to dance and soon there was not enough room for everyone else to dance so Aberforth made half of the tables disappear near the stage.

"May I have this dance?" asked Severus quietly to Rolanda.

"You certainly can,"

"_I love you baby,_

_And if it's quite all right,_

_I need you baby to warm a lonely night._

_I love you baby._

_Trust in me when I say:_

_Oh pretty baby, _

_don't bring me down I pray._

_Oh pretty baby, _

_now that I found you, stay._

_And let me love you baby let me love you..."_

Albus walked to the edge of the stage and offered his hand to his wife. Minerva smiled gracefully and climbed up onto the stage as he sang to her.

"_You're just too good to be true,_

_Can't take my eye's off of you,_

_You'd be like heaven to touch,_

_I want to hold you so much,_

_At long last love has arrived,_

_AndI thank god I'm alive,_

_You're just too good to be true,_

_Can't take my eyes off of you."_

Fred and George started going around levitating pieces of mistletoe above couples, teachers in particular. So when they spotted Snape and Hooch dancing closely together, they decided they would catch them out.

"_I love you baby,_

_And if it's quite all right,_

_I need you baby to warm a lonely night._

_I love you baby._

_Trust in me when I say:_

_Oh pretty baby, __don't bring me down I pray._

_Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay._

_And let me love you baby let me love you..."_

"Oh look, I wonder who could have put that mistletoe above us?" said Rolanda sarcastically. Severus smirked in amusement.

"You know, sometimes, I swear they can read my mind!" he replied and kissed her in front of everyone. Whispers spread throughout the great hall like a wild bush fire roaring out of control. Albus gave Minerva a long kiss and told the band to

"Take it away," which they did. Loud cheers resounded throughout the great hall once he had finished and they both walked down to congratulate Severus and Rolanda. Poppy came running over with Alastor and gave both the headmaster and his wife a big hug. They spent the remainder of the night on the dance floor with their memories and their Friends and family just waltzing through the crowd.

At the end of the evening, Albus took Minerva outside to watch the stars as the sky had cleared from snowing all day.

"Thank you Albus for the second best night of my life!" Minerva sighed happily into her husbands' robes.

"Second?" Albus' eyebrows shot up.

"Well, I loved the first night we were married" she giggled and gave him a wink.

"Ahh! Well there's plenty more where that came from!" he grinned, winked back and carried her off to their chambers.

The End

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